“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25)
Ask yourself this question, the majority of your close, personal friends, are they born-again or not? Those you spend the most time with in person or on the phone, those that you regularly associate with, have they been crucified with Christ or are they unrepentant?
I fear our opening verse could just as well have a caveat placed on the end of it today, one that reads, “on Sunday morning for an hour or so.” And I do not believe that I would be presuming incorrectly if the conversations before and after the service revolve around the things of the world, not in Spiritual matters. In fact, I would also think that for the most part, these people you meet there you only meet once a week, on that “special” day.
I hope I am wrong; I sincerely do, I hope that those you love and cherish the most are those who are your brothers and sisters in Christ, above even your family if they are not of the body of Christ.
“For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matt. 12:50)
Have you ever wondered how the people that heard our Lord say those words took them, how, if they heard, His family members outside waiting for Him interpreted them? Don’t mention that sentence to anyone trapped in Romanism, they actually believe that Mary, the mother of Christ, was born sinless. That is unless you are concerned with their soul.
The company we keep says a lot about us, it reveals as a mirror who we are, and if the majority of your friends are wicked, you will not be held in the best regard by those to whom you say that you are a Christian. Some will attempt to tell you that the Lord hung around sinners on a regular basis, no, He did not. He came to seek the lost, the lost are the ones that followed Him, the wicked quickly left His presence, for just being in the vicinity of the Holy One of God was enough to convict even the most vile man of his nature.
They left Him when He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” (John 6:26)
They left Him when He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” (John 6:53)
They left Him in the garden that night.
Jesus Christ our Lord had no close personal friends that were wicked people, though an entire book I suppose could be written on that topic with the heading of Judas Iscariot.
If you have been following hard after the Lord Jesus Christ, then you know that the company you keep, if it consists of those who do not love Him, will drag you down before you know what has happened. You will fall into your old patterns.
“And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” (Matt. 18:17)
The choice is yours of course, I am sent only with the message, perhaps you believe otherwise. Perhaps you believe the longer you are around them, the greater the chance they will hear and repent. Perhaps you are right, but you know just as well how rarely that happens.
Friends are not easy to give up, I know, I have left many of them in my life, but I left them all for my truest Friend, if I dare to call the Creator of all that is my Friend.
You have to make the decision, someone has to be left behind, someone must have your full devotion. Like I mentioned, I only give the message.